Network scoring system and method

Abstract

A client may be configured to access a network by identifying a network bandwidth configuration setting to be used by the client in accessing a networked content source, enabling the client to access the content source using the network bandwidth configuration setting, monitoring client access to the content source, comparing client access metrics to metrics associated with the network bandwidth configuration setting, determining, based on the comparison, whether to adjust the network bandwidth configuration settings for the client, and adjusting the network bandwidth configuration setting if appropriate.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method for configuring access to content over a network, the method comprising:
 identifying a network access environment associated with a first client device; 
 generating, by at least one processor, a metric indicative of a performance of a reception of a first content by the first client device; 
 establishing a bandwidth configuration setting for the identified network access environment of the first client device based on the generated metric; 
 identifying a request from a second client device for a second content; 
 determining that an environment of the second client device corresponds to the identified network access environment of the first client device; and 
 enabling reception of the second content by the second client device according to the established bandwidth configuration setting for the identified network access environment of the first client device, 
 wherein identifying the network access environment includes identifying an underlying network transport infrastructure used by the first client device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a device type characteristic of the first client device is the same as that of the second client device. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a device type characteristic of the first client device is different from that of the second client device. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bandwidth configuration setting identifies at least one of a network bandwidth or bit rate to use to access content. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a second metric indicative of a performance of the reception of the second content by the second client device; and 
 updating the bandwidth configuration setting based on the generated second metric. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein updating the bandwidth configuration setting includes determining whether a particular event has occurred at a specified frequency or a specified number of times. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying a network access environment further includes identifying one or more of a media access control (MAC) address or an Internet protocol (IP) address of the first client device. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the network access environment further includes identifying a screen name associated with the first client device. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the underlying network transport infrastructure includes at least one of a dial up modem, a wireless network, or a cable network. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the network access environment further includes identifying a geographical descriptor. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the generated metric relates to at least one of network latency, jitter, throughput, or utilization. 
     
     
       12. A system for configuring access to content over a network, comprising:
 at least one memory device that stores instructions; and 
 at least one processor that executes the instructions and is configured to:
 identify a network access environment associated with a first client device; 
 generate a metric indicative of a performance of a reception of a first content by the first client device; 
 establish a bandwidth configuration setting for the identified network access environment of the first client device based on the generated metric; 
 identify a request from a second client device for a second content; 
 determine that an environment of the second client device corresponds to the identified network access environment of the first client device; and 
 enable reception of the second content by the second client device according to the established bandwidth configuration setting for the identified network access environment of the first client device, 
 wherein the at least one processor identifies the network access environment based on an identification of an underlying network transport infrastructure used by the first client device. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the bandwidth configuration setting identifies at least one of a network bandwidth or bit rate to use to access content. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 generate a second metric indicative of a performance of the reception of the second content by the second client device; and 
 update the bandwidth configuration setting based on the generated second metric. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein updating the bandwidth configuration setting includes determining whether a particular event has occurred at a specified frequency or a specifies number of times. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 12 , wherein identifying a network access environment further includes identifying one or more of a media access control (MAC) address or an Internet protocol (IP) address of the first client device. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 12 , wherein identifying a network access environment further includes identifying a screen name associated with the first client device. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the generated metric relates to at least one of network latency, jitter, throughput, or utilization.